Battery-operating apparatus.



M. KRUPPA.

BATTERY OPERATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1911 1 ,284,7 1 3 Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

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mi ATTORNEY M. KRUPPA.

BATTERY OPERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1917- 00 1 9. 1 2 11mm. ls my N M M t: n AU t a P UNITED srn'rns PATENT our-Ion.

MICHAL KRUPPA, OF JEROME, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOROF ONE-EIGHTH TO JOSEPH DZINGEL, 0F JEROME, PENNSYLVANIA.

BATTERY-OPERATI IING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, MICHAL KRUPPA, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, resident of Jerome, county'of Somerset, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Battery-Operating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for automatically discharging a gun battery composed of ordinary army rifles, and has as its principal object the provision of means whereby a plurality of such rifles may be secured in an operative position, aimed and discharged simultaneously by a single operator.

A' further object is to combine means whereby the correct altitude of the guns may be determined preparatory to firing the us, which arearranged in rows one behind the other, closely adjacent, and finally to provide such apparatus in forms which may be used in connection with ordinary army rifles without any change in their construction, the apparatus being particularly fitted for trench or pit operations.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view indicating the disposition of the rifles in connection with the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a partial transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the gun adjusting means.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the crank adjusting means.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental perspective view of the firing rod. and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

This apparatus is intended primarily for pits or trenches formed in the soil, as shown in Fig. 2, and consists of a pair of side plates 14, to which are attached the recoil bars 15, and 16, respectively for the front and rear rows of guns, the butts of which are received in openings 17. disposed in alternate or staggered relation in one of the recoil bars to that of similar openings in theother bar, and in which the butts 18 of the rifles rest.

The barrels 19 of the guns are disposed at spaced intervals co-incident with the openings 17, in the reduced annular necks 20, formed in the shafts 21 which are rotatably supported in the upper end of the rack bars 23, mounted in the side plates 14.

These rack bars are moved vertically by means of pinions 25, the teeth of which engage direct with the teeth of the rack bars, the pinions being mounted upon pins 26, carried in the brackets 29, extending upward from the plates 14, and engage with spur gears 28, aifixed on a shaft 30 and provided with levers 31, extending rearwardly along the guns.

Rigidly engaged upon the shaft 30, is a sprocket wheel 33, over which runs a chain 34, communicating motion to a duplicate construction operating the rear row of guns. the wheel being operated by an extending handle knob 62 set rigidly in its side.

An extension 35, using from one of the plates 14, carries an index finger 36, registerlng with a row of graduations 38, carried on the face of the sprocket 33,.and indicating numeric-ally the distance or range at which the rifles are to be aimed, and obviously, actuating the knob 32 serves to elevate the guns to a known inclination with respect to the distance of the target at which they are aimed.

The rack bars 23 are held normally downward so that the rifles are in substantially horizontal position by means of spring detents 40, the teeth of which engage with the teeth of the rack, and are mounted upon the rods 41, normally held in operative engagement by flat bent springs 42, which may be retracted, together with the detents, by the crank arm 43, and the connection 44 which engages with the rear row in a like manner.

Other shafts 45 are journaled in the plates 14, and have rigidly afiixed upon them a plurality of arms 46, terminating in lateral projections 47 adapted to engage with the triggers 48 of the guns, the projections 47 extending inward through the trigger guards 49, as can be seen in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the guns rigidly in engagernent with the shafts 21 springs 50 are secured by fastenings 51, directly to the barrels of the guns, the springs being bent so as to partiall 20 in the sha Motion is communicated to the shafts 45 encircle the annular grooves so as to be held thereto.

by means of the pull rod 55, the same being attached to cranks 56, secured upon the shafts 45.

recesses 17 of the recoil bars 15, the proper elevation of the gun is attained by rotating the wheels 33, by the knobs 62, so as to bring into registration the correct range shown on the index, which action automatically brings the sights into position for use, it being understood thatthe rods 44have been drawn rearwardly, permitting the racks to rise, whereupon the rod 55 may be pulled, o erating the triggers of the guns and simu taneously discharging both rows of guns, audit is to be noted that as the rear row is arranged" 1n alternate relation. with the front row, a

relatively wide field of action is attained.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gun battery the combination with a plurality of guns, a rigid frame, recoil blocks secured thereto, said recoil blocks havposed pairs of said racks, means for res'L i- V ently securing each of said-gums to one of said shafts, means for raising or lowering said racks, means for holding said racks in an adjusted position, an index whereby the elevation of the guns can be ascertained, means for adjusting the sights of said guns co-inciden tl. with operatin said racks, and means for discharging all 0 said guns simultaneously. v

2. In a gun battery, the combination with a rigid frame, a plurality of vertically disposed racks eperable therein, a plurality of guns arranged in staggered relation in two separate rows, means cooperating with said racks for raising or lowering the muzzles of said guns, means for determiningthe amount of movement given said racks, means for locking said racks in an adjusted position, shafts transversely mounted in said frame, and a plurality of fingers, attached to said shafts adapted to make contact with the triggers of said guns whereby all may be operated simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

MICHAL KRUPPA. 

